Building construction



April 20, 1954 L. c. BETSOLD 2,675,694

' BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 13, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l A13 ATTORNEY April 195.4 1.. c. BETSOLD BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, 1948 L l INVENTOR Q 4 00/: c. 55 730A 0 .:t.."hm=

fin

Patented Apr. 20, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. 1

Another object is to provide a building block construction having securing means inset therein for interengagement with corresponding parts of opposing-blocks to secure the blocks in assembled relationship.-

Another object is to provide a building block A construction in. which each block is interengageable with oppositely faced complementary blocks to produce a substantially monolithic structure, the interconnecting elements being embedded by material filling the spaces between adjacent blocks to provide a substantially smooth surface.

A further object is to provide interconnecting securing means for building blocks by which oppositely faced blocks may be drawn into tight wedging engagement.

The invention possesses other objects, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description wherein is explained that form of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the forms illustratedin the drawings, since the invention as set forth in the claims may be embodied ina plurality of other forms.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmental elevational view showing the manner in which opposing blocks are made and assembled in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan View of an assembly of a plurality of blocks to form a wall structure;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the blocks assembled as shown in Figure 2, the plane of the section being intermediate the reinforcing ribs of the blocks, as for example the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure-1;

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the assembly of a plurality of blocks at a corner intersection of two wall units;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional detail view of a corner joint such as indicated at the right hand side'of Figure 4, shown on a larger scale, the plane of the section being through the block securing means;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional detail, drawn upon a still larger scale, showing the end construction for door, window and other similar openings in a wall; and

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional detail View of the interengaging block securing means, the figure being drawn on a scale similar to that of Figure 6, and the plane of the section being horizontal and through the center of the securing elements and said securing elements.

In terms of broad inclusion, the building construction of my invention comprises a plurality of blocks having wedge shaped side portions extending laterally from central ribportions, for assembly in staggered relation in oppositely facing tiers, with opposing side portions drawn into wedging relationship. Interengaging means, such as studs and stays, are inset-in the rib and side portions respectively; securing means being provided for drawing the complementary parts into wedging engagement, with the side portions of each block tightly wedged against the opposing blocks. Preferably the edges of the side portions define recesses which contain the central ribs and the interengaging securing means, and which are filled with hardenable material applied in plastic state after theblocks are assembled to enclose the securing means and provide a substantially smooth finished surface in the planes defined by the adjacent side portions of the blocks.

In greater detail, the building constructionof my invention comprises a plurality of blocks or panels designated in general by the numeral t. The blocks are provided with outwardly tapering wedge-shaped side portions 2, extending laterally from main rib portions 3. The blocks l are preferably molded from cement, or other suitable material, with substantially smooth planar surfaces on the outer faces, that is, those intended for exposure in a fabricated structure. The inner surfaces of the blocks are provided with marginal ribs l and 5 upon the sides and ends respectively of the side portions, said ribs projecting inwardly from the inner faces of the side portions 2 of the blocks. Reinforcing ribs 6 extend from the main ribs 3 to the side ribs t. The ribs 5 and 6 taper uniformly from the main ribs 3 to the side ribs 4, the outer faces of the ribs 5 and 6' of each side portion 2 being disposed in a common plane, which inclines from the main rib 3 toward the outer edge of the side portion in converging relation to the plane defined by the outer face of the block.

The blocks i are provided with interconnecting means, inset in the main ribs and side portions of the blocks, for securing the blocks in in terwedging engagement to form a partially hollow wall. Said securing means comprises a plurality of studs 8 projecting outwardly from the inner face of each main rib 3. The studs are preferably screwed into sleeves 9 molded or otherwise inset in permanently fixed positions in the main ribs 3 of the blocks. Stud engaging eyes iii extend laterally from the ends of the side por tions of the block in alinement with the studs 8, and are engageable therewith. Preferably the eyes iii are formed upon the outer ends of reinforcing stay rods H molded into some or all of the ribs 5 and 6 in alinement with the studs 8. The matching eyes it extending from the edges of matching ribs of adjacent blocks I are preferably applied one over the other upon the corresponding studs carried by the rib 3 of the opposing oppositely faced block. Heads or nuts 12 are provided upon the outer ends of the studs 8 for retaining the eyes it upon the studs 8, and for applying a tensioning force to the stays H. At their outer ends the sieeves 9 are enclosed by dished, square washers i la, set well into the main rib as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. These washers reenforce the edges of the rib against crumbling when the studs or nuts are tightened down to pull the stays tight; and they also insure a recess into which the eyes it can be drawn.

Preferably, reinforcing rods i i are embedded in the blocks in positions at substantially right angles to the stays i i, and within reinforcing ribs l5 which cross the ribs 6. The rods Ht, which may be threaded if desired, extend beyond the edges of the blocks to provide extensions it by which adjacent rows of blocks may be attached one to another in assembled relation.

The blocks are preferably made of a relatively large size designed to minimize the number of blocks required, and to expedite their assembly in a building structure of more or less standardized dimensions. For small building, such as small homes, I have found that blocks about three feet nine inches in width andabout eight feet in length are particularly adaptable to standardized designs. Such blocks may be readily handled by a derrick, and lend themselves to practical requirements for length, width and height of conventional wall sections. The thickness of the individual blocks may be varied with in wide limits, to meet the requirements of various loads and types of structure. For light onestory wall construction a thickness of five inches has been found to be adequate. For multi-story structures, a thickness up to as much as about eighteen inches may be provided, to meet the requirements of each particular structure.

The blocks l are assembled by placing the blocks in proximate interconnected tiers, with the blocks of one tier in oppositely faced, staggered relation to the blocks of the other. The wedge-shaped side portions 2 of the several blocks overlie the adjacent side portions of the opposing blocks, with the opposing wedge-shaped portions being mutually complementary to each other and forming a wall of substantially uniform thickness. The edges of the side portions 2 of adjacent blocks are disposed along the sides of the main ribs 3 of the adjacent block of the opposing tier, with the eyes [8 of the stays l i of adjacent blocks engaging the adjacent studs i3.v

Tension for tightening the blocks into interwedging relation is obtained by tightening the 4 nuts l2 onto the studs 8. As the nuts are tightened, the ends of the stays ii are bent inward- 1y enough to draw the blocks into tight engagement.

The size and arrangement of blocks will of course be varied to suit the requirements of each particular structure; and special blocks may of course be provided for use in defining door and window openings where required. Sealing material may be applied along the joints between adjacent blocks, and finishing material such as plaster, stucco, wall-board or other finish may be applied as desired. For corner construction, the

,Wedge-shaped portions of the blocks are positioned at right angles to each other, as indicated in Figures 4 and 5, each side portion being secured in interwedging engagement with adjacent blocks of standard flat construction.

The panels I are molded of concrete in suitable forms in accordance with ordinary practice, the stay rods H, with the sleeves 9 welded or otherwise secured thereon, and the washers i la being mounted in appropriate relationship within the mold before the concrete mixture is poured.

I claim:

1. A concrete building block comprising an elongated rectangular main body of substantially even thickness and having a plurality of ribs integral therewith, said ribs including a deep main rib extending centrally lengthwise of the main body and shallow marginal side ribs on opposite sides of and parallel to the main rib, a plurality of tapered reenforcing ribs at right angles to said main rib and extending from each side of the main rib to the adjacent marginal side rib along the ends of said body and intermediate the ends of said body, a dished washer embedded in said main rib at its intersection with each said intermediate reenforcing rib, an interiorly threaded sleeve extending through each dished washer and fixedly embedded in the main rib, and a reenforcing rod embedded in each said intermediate reenforcing rib and having an eye extending beyond each opposite marginal side rib whereby in building a wall a plurality of said blocks may be arranged in groups of three so that oppositely corresponding eyes of two adjacent blocks overlap above an embedded sleeve of the third juxtaposed and oppositely facing block.

2. A wall structure comprising a plurality of joined concrete blocks, each block comprising a main body of substantially even thickness and having a plurality of ribs integral therewith, said ribs including a deep main rib extending centrally lengthwise of each block and shallow marginal side ribs on opposite sides of said main rib, a plurality of tapered reenforcing ribs at right angles to said main rib-and extending from each side of the main rib to the adjacent marginal side rib along the ends of said body and intermediate the ends thereof, said marginal side ribs and reenforcing ribs of each block wedgingly engaging respectively the reenforcing and marginal side ribs of a pair of juxtaposed and oppositely facing blocks in the wall structure, means for joining the blocks in said wedgingly engaged position and comprising in each block a plurality of dished washers, each washerembedded in the main rib at an intersection with an intermediate reenforcing rib, an interio rly threaded sleeve extending through each of the dished washers and embedded in fixed position in the main rib, a plurality. of reenforcing rods embedded in the intermediate reenforcing'fribs Iof each block and having projecting eyes that overlap above each fixedly embedded sleeve of the juxtaposed oppositely facing block, and a plurality of bolts, each bolt passing through two overlapped projecting eyes and threaded into the underlying sleeve of the juxtaposed block to bind. the projecting eyes to the sleeve and apply tension to the associated reem'orcing rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 10 Number Name Date Perry July 2, 1912 Freeman Nov. 5, 1912 Small Feb. 6, 1917 Phelan July 24, 1923 Smith Oct. 28, 1930 Hayes Mar. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Dec. 26, 19 15 

